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EVE Evolved: The new player experience, part 2

Brendan Drain — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, EVE Online, Culture, Game mechanics, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

Two weeks ago, I began an experiment to look into EVE Online's new player experience from the perspective of someone who has never played the game before. I convinced my friend Kajatta to try the game for the first time, with his only prior knowledge being the same stories, videos and screenshots that anyone will have seen before signing up to give the game a shot. In the first part of this investigation into the new player experience, Kajatta delivered a harsh first impression of the user interface and character creation.

A common story I've heard when I'm talking to current EVE players is that many didn't really get into the game the first time they played. As happened to Kajatta, some found adapting to the UI and control scheme a jarring experience and were put off as a result. It was usually the second time they played EVE that seemed to make the game stick, whether that was restarting a new character immediately or giving the game a second try up to a year later.

Could it be that EVE is most likely to appeal to new players the second time they play it? To put this theory to the test, this week Kajatta took a fresh second stab at EVE Online and played through all the career agent content. But has his first attempt provide the equipment necessary to scale EVE's famous learning cliff, or did the UI and control scheme prove as impenetrable a barrier as ever?

In this week's EVE Evolved, Kajatta delivers his verdict on whether EVE is better the second time around and delves into the Cash Flow For Capsuleers combat missions.

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EVE Evolved: The new player experience, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: The new player experience

Brendan Drain — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Expansions, Game mechanics, Interviews, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Sandbox

Ever since a graph showing a downward trend in daily peak concurrent logins started to make the rounds on blogs, players have insisted that EVE Online's recent Incarna expansion has been a complete failure. I mentioned in an earlier article that we should really have expected this as the captain's quarters were primarily designed with new players in mind. Starting the game as an avatar, even one who's been grounded in his space-room by his space-dad, helps people identify with their characters in a way that bridges the gap between EVE and traditional avatar-based MMOs. By introducing a player to his character as a person rather than a ship, the new player experience may also help make the loss of a ship not such a big deal.

It's all fine and well to theorise about Incarna's success or failure, but ultimately it's only new players who can make that determination. If the captain's quarters do their job of flattening that initially jarring part of EVE's learning curve, the expansion's effect on subscriptions would be to convert more free trials into paid accounts -- an effect that wouldn't be immediately noticeable until another exciting and heavily advertised gameplay expansion brings in large numbers of new players. To help figure out if the captain's quarters have been successful in that regard, we have to turn to people who have never played EVE before.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I finally convince my friend Kajatta to try EVE for the first time. I delve into his first experiences with the game to find out what EVE does right and wrong in the new player experience.

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EVE Evolved: The new player experience originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Minmatar and Caldari

Brendan Drain — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, PvP, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides

Over the years, I've introduced several friends to EVE Online and tried to give them the best start possible. Offering a financial safety net for ship losses definitely helped a little, as did providing funding to back market experiments and manufacturing or research ventures. What I found helped most of all was to bring new players on quick PvP fleets and discourage them from gravitating toward mining or mission-running as their primary form of gameplay. The adrenaline rush of EVE PvP is something I've yet to find in another MMO, and it's the reason so many of us are hooked to the game. It only makes sense then to introduce new players to it as soon as possible.

Last month, I encouraged new players who might be starting out on their own to grab a few friends and similarly charge into PvP from day one. To follow up, the last two weeks' columns have been dedicated to getting new players into their first PvP frigate and upgrading to a cruiser, with emphasis on staying financially ahead of the inevitable ship losses. Last week we tackled Gallente and Amarr ships, with some cheap battle-tested setups for the Thorax, Vexor, Arbitrator and Omen that new players will be able to fly with only a few weeks of skill training.

In this week's EVE Evolved, we look at Minmatar and Caldari cruisers, with setups for the Stabber, Rupture, Blackbird and Moa and tips on saving your escape pod to minimise the cost of death.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Minmatar and Caldari

EVE Evolved: Upgrading to a PvP cruiser: Minmatar and Caldari originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: How welcoming should a game be?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Game mechanics, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

In the old days, games started you out in a few tattered rags, and if you were very lucky, you had a weapon after character creation. The tutorial was "try not to die." You learned where things were by asking other players or blindly stumbling from place to place. In many ways, themepark games like RIFT can be seen as a direct counter to that playstyle, giving players a clear sense of purpose and a direction so reliable it can feel like handholding.

But there's another side to the discussion: the fact that how easy it is to figure things out at the start of a game contributes to how welcome you feel. There's a rush when you realize you're in a hostile world that won't hand you what you need to survive, but there's also a question of whether or not you want to carve out a niche in a world that doesn't seem to want you anyway. So how welcoming should a game be to new players? Should it be gently guiding at the risk of over-protectiveness, or should it throw you in the deep end and let you sink or swim?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: How welcoming should a game be? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players

Brendan Drain — Sun, 08 May 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Game mechanics, MMO industry, Endgame, Opinion, EVE Evolved

In a recent article, I explored the effect that power players have on EVE Online's subscription retention. In particular, I suggested that CCP has stopped developing features with EVE's power players in mind and that this could be the cause of a worrying downward trend in new player retention. It's the responsibility of corp leaders and organisers to give players a place in EVE, to provide them with something to do and to instill them with the ambition to continue playing in the long term. I believe that CCP has let those organisers and leaders down by failing to provide the updated tools necessary to give players a purposeful place in the universe or give them a good start to the game.

A similar issue I've touched on before is the importance of corporate goals in EVE. I've always been amazed at the willingness of EVE players to donate their time and effort to achieve a collective goal rather than a personal one. People are far more likely to join a corporate mining op, for example, if the proceeds will be donated to the corp funds or the minerals will be used in a corp production scheme. Similarly, I've found players to be much more enthusiastic about a mission night or wormhole op if the intent is to fund the production of a corp capital ship or the purchase of starbase fuel.

With CCP's summer focus aimed at helping new players get into good corporations, this week's opinion-filled EVE Evolved examines some of the developments necessary to make that goal possible.

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EVE Evolved: Corporate benefits and new players originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- The basics

Brendan Drain — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Professions, PvE, EVE Evolved, Guides

Although it's not everyone's cup of tea, mining is one of EVE Online's oldest and most easily accessible professions. Sitting down to clear out a few asteroid belts or put a dent in a massive ice asteroid can be a very relaxing way to make ISK. Mining is a very low-activity process that can be done at the same time as other tasks, much in the same way that hauling items for trade or running courier missions can be done in the background. In all the time that the EVE Evolved column has been running, it struck me that I had never really written a guide for mining.

Mining can be a good way to make some extra ISK during a lull in corp activity or while you're busy doing other things. Busy EVE players will often set themselves up to mine solo while reading a good book or watching TV. On the other end of the scale, corporations and alliances will sometimes run large co-operative mining operations for war funds or personal profit. Mining as a group is usually a more efficient use of the time of each player in the group and can make a great bonding experience for a corporation.

In this week's EVE Evolved, I give a run-down of the basics of mining for new players. I look at the entry-level ship requirements for efficient mining and popular strategies for both solo and group mining.

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EVE Evolved: Mining 101 -- The basics originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Skylight puts Second Life right into your browser

Eliot Lefebvre — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Second Life, Browser, Virtual worlds

When most people (who don't play) think of Second Life, they don't have a terribly flattering picture in their head. That's neither fair nor even-handed, but it's hard to convince someone to download a new game and install it on the basis that it might be better than expected. So it's a good thing all around that Project Skylight, a new viewer for the game, is now available. It's a viewer with a crucial difference -- it's a browser-based client that allows players to start tooling around immediately with no prior installation.

According to players, the client works well enough, albeit with some caveats such as a limited amount of time allowed per day. The service is clearly aimed at new players, as a 45-second promotional video plays before the client can be accessed, and players can only log in using guest accounts. That being said, it's a full client inside your web browser, requiring no extra setup or commitment beyond the willingness to try the game. Second Life fans should be happy, but people who have never tried the game should be happier, as it just got easier to see if the virtual world might be the place for them.

Project Skylight puts Second Life right into your browser originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everything you wanted to know about LotRO but were too busy fending off an invasion of Uruk-hai to find out

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play

It can be scary and intimidating to enter an MMO for the first time, especially if that game's been out for a number of years. So many possibilities, so many unknown factors, so much to learn -- we wouldn't blame you if liquid started pouring from your ocular sockets. With so many new players giving Lord of the Rings Online a test drive these past few weeks, it stands to reason that there are a few who feel utterly, completely lost.

Who will ever save us from this lack of knowledge? Look! Up in the sky! It's a new LotRO dev diary!

In the eloquently titled "New Player Tips and Hints," Turbine provides four pages of need-to-know info about how to survive and succeed in Middle-earth. While some of the tips are common knowledge to any MMO player, there's still enough here to recommend to an experienced MMO vet who might be new to LotRO. The article covers how to gather information, basic tips and hints, integrated system tips and combat tips. You can read the whole shebang over at LotRO's site.

Everything you wanted to know about LotRO but were too busy fending off an invasion of Uruk-hai to find out originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Road to Mordor: If the road goes ever on, I'm gonna need a GPS

Justin Olivetti — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Free-to-play, The Road to Mordor

Recently in our kinship chat, I asked my mates what they were most looking forward to in next week's patch. Scaled instances and the wardrobe were popular, but probably the most-cited change was simply the influx of new players. It's not that we were worried Lord of the Rings Online was dying, but that we love this game so much that we genuinely want others to experience it as well.

Plus, new players bring a rush of excitement for everyone involved. It's always a treat to look at an old game through a fresh set of eyes, and I hope that everyone logging in to LotRO for the first time will enjoy the sights of the Eriador, the quirkiness of the world, and the rich lore behind it.

In the spirit of welcoming these fledgling adventurers to Middle-earth, I wanted to hand out a few pieces of advice today that I would give to myself if I were just starting out (and I guess there'd be some sort of weird time travel paradox event going on there, but hopefully you catch my gist). What should you do in your first week in LotRO? Speak "friend" and enter.

Continue reading The Road to Mordor: If the road goes ever on, I'm gonna need a GPS

The Road to Mordor: If the road goes ever on, I'm gonna need a GPS originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips

Brendan Drain — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Professions, PvE, Opinion, Hands-on, EVE Evolved, Guides

Over the past two weeks, I've been giving an in-depth look at EVE Online's exploration profession. Exploration is one of the many PvE elements that players can get involved in right from their first week in EVE. By concentrating on astrometrics skills, a new player can be a more-than-competent prober within a week. Although some sites may require the help of an older player for the first few months, it's still one of the most fun PvE elements a new player can get into. In the first part of this three-part guide, I went over the basic equipment and techniques you'll need to scan down hidden complexes. In last week's second part, I went on to look at the different types of hidden site you can discover, what loot you can expect to find in each of them and what kind of challenge you'll face.

Since the exploration system was launched many years ago, I've picked up a few tricks and tips that can help any explorer. In this final part of the EVE Evolved guide to exploration, I run down my four top tips for budding explorers.

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EVE Evolved: Exploration -- Top tips originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Evolved: The game doesn't really start until...

Brendan Drain — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, PvP, Endgame, Opinion, EVE Evolved

While reading the latest Anti-Aliased, Seraphina Brennan's weekly opinion column here at Massively, I couldn't help but apply what she was talking about to EVE Online. Sera's opinion piece was centred on the idea that games should be fun right from the start. If there's a period of boredom or grind before you get to the fun parts of a game, the developers are doing something wrong. While this is most often attributed to theme-park MMOs, with their rush to endgame before the game really opens up, I can't help but think EVE falls into the same trap.

Despite its open-world sandbox nature with no forced progression or crafted endgame, I catch myself saying "EVE doesn't really start until ..." all the time. Most often I'm talking about how EVE's core gameplay really begins with PvP, and how motivationally essential it is to join a good player-run corporation. I've always found EVE's social structures and PvP to be its two most powerful components. Over the years, I've watched players who get involved in them stick with the game for years, while others who don't quickly become bored. I find myself wondering whether anything can be done to bring those parts of the game to new players right from the start.

In this opinion piece, I look at the idea that EVE doesn't really kick off for players until they get into PvP or join a good corporation. I go on to suggest a few changes to the new-player experience that might help bring these elusive endgames to new players.

Continue reading EVE Evolved: The game doesn't really start until...

EVE Evolved: The game doesn't really start until... originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE University turns six years old today

Brendan Drain — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Culture, Events, in-game, Guilds, News items

EVE Online has made a name for itself as an MMO with a steep learning curve. Getting into the game can be a daunting experience for new players, particularly if they want to get involved in PvP. Six years ago today, EVE player "Morning Maniac" founded the EVE University corporation in an effort to combat exactly that problem. Since then, they've been EVE's best-known new player training corp, providing free training and supplies to players getting to grips with the game. The program has seen over 10,000 new players pass through and graduate on to bigger and better things. Their success has spawned many other training corps over the years, including those focused on piracy.

In his six year birthday announcement, Kelduum Revaan of EVE University talked about how the game had changed over the years, adding that "one thing has remained constant - there are always new players, and there is always more to learn." At last year's five year anniversary, a brief history of the corp graced the EVE news. Since then, EVE University has gone from strength to strength, with some impressive achievements over the last twelve months. Over 3,000 new players entered the program this year, for a time making EVE University possibly the biggest single corp in the game. They were even recommended by PC Gamer magazine as the best place for new players to start their EVE journey. This year also saw the opening of their wormhole operations division and the opening of access to NPC nullsec regions for members. The corp looks forward to expanding operations and we at Massively wish them every success over the coming year.

EVE University turns six years old today originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everquest II aims upcoming Complete Collection at new players

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items

The problem with getting players into a new game after a couple years is that, well, the game has moved on. It has a couple expansions under its belt, it has a whole lot of new concepts, and new players aren't going to be on board for it. A new player is hard enough to rope into an MMO as it is, much less when you tell them they have to buy three expansions and hit level 30 in a month to see some of the cool stuff. Everquest II knows how much of a struggle it can be, which is why they're releasing the Everquest II Complete Collection just in time for both the holiday season and before the upcoming expansion pack The Sentinel's Fate (due out in February).

What does it contain? The initial Everquest II, obviously, along with all five of the game's extant expansion packs. If that's not enough, it also offers sixty free days of play (up from the usual thirty) and 500 Station Cash to help buy things from the game's microtransaction system. At the risk of sounding like a marketing press release, it's an ideal way to get a friend into the game over the holiday season, and presumably get them ready in time for the new expansion to hit.

Everquest II aims upcoming Complete Collection at new players originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Is it IP or people?

Krystalle Voecks — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

Yesterday after the announcement of the new Marvel MMO, a bit of lively discussion sparked up on Twitter between Shuttler from Limited Edition, Brenda "Tipa" Holloway, West Karana blogmistress and Massively alumni, and me. There was of course, the discussion of Marvel's MMO re-entering the scene, but also the question came up of whether the IP is what draws people in to a particular MMO, or if it's the people? Tipa and I generally felt that, much like World of Warcraft's success, pulling new people in has a lot to do with people suggesting the game to their friends, who then jump in and start playing it. Shuttler suggested that for those who aren't getting in via friends, IP may be the most important thing that brings new players to the table. After all, how likely are you to walk into a store and pick up an MMO in a genre you don't particularly care about - even if it has millions of players - when a genre you like (superheroes, in the original discussion) has an MMO?

So this morning I wanted to open this discussion up to you all, as it was an interesting topic. What do you think pulls in new people to MMOs? For new players, do you think it's more important to have a recognizeable IP like Star Trek, Marvel, DC, Star Wars - or is it more important to have good word of mouth from people you know? When you started out, what got you into the genre? Was it friends telling you about a great MMO they were playing, or did you decide to check out a particular game because of the story/genre behind it? How important do you think IP is in the initial hook? Are there other factors that you feel are more important to bringing new players to the MMO genre? Or is it a combination of all of them, really?

The Daily Grind: Is it IP or people? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dungeons & Dragons Online Module 8: The new player experience

Shawn Schuster — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Galleries, Screenshots, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Classes, Game mechanics, Guides, Hands-on, Races, Academic

With the upcoming Module 8 for Dungeons and Dragons Online, the folks at Turbine were kind enough to give us a hands-on sneak peek into this impressive patch. We saw so much of the shiny that you can certainly expect more feature articles here at Massively concerning Module 8 in the near future, but for now, we wanted to focus on the new player experience for anyone looking to get into the game for the first time.

The new player experience in DDO's Module 8 has all changed. Take what you knew of the game before -- either at launch or during a trial period somewhere along the way -- and throw it out the window. The process has changed into something more easily-accessible to those people who want to get into the game, but aren't particularly familiar with Dungeons & Dragons rulesets. Don't worry though, for you hardcore advanced players, there's still options to completely customize your character as much as you'd like. Follow along in our new player experience with character creation features, and be sure to check out the Module 8 gallery linked below.

Character Creation >>

Gallery: DDO Module 8 New Player Gallery

Dungeons & Dragons Online Module 8: The new player experience originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The new player experience of Earthrise

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Business models, Game mechanics, Interviews, New titles, Earthrise

The new player experience is not only crucial to any game's success, but it is particularly important to an MMOG, where developers can lose out on subscription income if players don't see anything that grabs them initially. So in a recent interview over at Ten Ton Hammer, Atanas Atanasov, the CEO of Masthead Studios discusses how Earthrise will approach this concern.

He mentions the fact that character creation will be fairly involved, with the ability to customize many features of your character, yet you won't be overwhelmed with too many choices on class or statistics right away. Atanasov also mentions that Masthead Studios has developed their own game engine from scratch that will utilize both DirectX9 and DirectX10 so that it will be accessible to more computers. Be sure to check out more of the in-depth interview over at TTH for more information.

The new player experience of Earthrise originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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